1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mounting holder for detachably fixing a subassembly in an end position in which it is ready for operation. That kind of mounting holder is described in our older, commonly assigned patent application No. 09/815,655 (published German patent application DE 198 43 708) entitled xe2x80x9cDevice for Releasably Mounting an Electronic Component.xe2x80x9d The holder serves for the detachable mounting or fixing of an electronic subassembly such as an electro-optical transceiver on a carrier (e.g. a printed circuit board). Mounting holders such as this can be utilized for subassemblies and/or in subassemblies that must be assembled and disassembled easily in mounting locations that are relatively difficult to access.
In the mounting of subassemblies, it is particularly desirable for the user to receive clear notice upon attainment of the end position of the subassembly, in which it is ready for operation. This can be particularly important when unpracticed personnel are entrusted with the mounting, or when the mounting process is substantially dependent upon the realizable attainment of the end position, which may be the case when a correct electrical contacting of the subassembly can be guaranteed only when the end position has been attained.
2. Summary of the Invention
The object of the present invention is to provide a mounting holder for detachably fixing a subassembly in an end position in which it is ready for operation which overcomes the above-noted deficiencies and disadvantages of the prior art devices and methods of this general kind, and which assembly has improved user-friendly attributes in that it signals to the user when the end position is achieved and/or it acts to support the detachment of the subassembly.
With the above and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a mounting holder for detachably fixing a subassembly in an operational end position, comprising:
a top side configured to receive thereon a subassembly to be moved along a given mounting direction into an end position; and
an ejection mechanism comprising at least one spring disposed to exert a spring force on the subassembly in the end position thereof in a direction opposite the mounting direction.
In other words, the objects are satisfied with the novel mounting holder for detachably fixing a component or subassembly in an end position in which it is ready for operation. The device has a top side, beyond which the subassembly is moved into the end position in a direction of mounting, and having an ejection mechanism, which comprises at least one spring that exerts a spring force opposite the direction of mounting on the subassembly in the ready end position.
A first essential aspect of the invention is that the spring of the ejection mechanism is prestressed during the mounting process when the subassembly is moved along the mounting direction into the end position; thus, in dependence upon the spring constant and the spring deflection, the increasing spring power that must be overcome signals the approach of the end position. Another essential aspect of the invention is that the spring, being biased in the end position, exerts a force that acts opposite the direction of mounting, which supports the detachment and removal of the subassembly. A particular advantage consists in the ability of the spring power to eject the subassembly entirely by way of an observable excursion path. The subassembly is thus moved as needed from an end position that is inherently difficult to access into a position in which the subassembly can be handled more comfortably.
Another essential advantage of the invention consists in the ability to preassemble the ejecting mechanism as a component of the mounting holder with a high degree of precision with respect to its position relative to the mounting holder. Besides this, it can form one graspable unit with the mounting holder, which is advantageous in the production process. Its many functionalities notwithstanding, what distinguishes the inventive mounting holder overall is a remarkably simple construction.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the spring is formed with at least one catch disposed at the top side and projecting beyond the top side, whereby the at least one catch comes into contact with a stop at a bottom side of the subassembly when the subassembly is moved into the end position, and thereby deflects the spring.
A preferred development of the invention consists in providing the spring with at least one catch or driver in the region of the top side of the mounting holder, which protrudes over the top side and which comes in contact with a stop at the bottom side of the subassembly when the subassembly is moved into the end position, thereby deflecting the spring. This development allows a particularly compact construction of the mounting holder, wherein the catches are disposed in the region of the top side and remain over the top side, so that no additional structural space is needed in order to facilitate the assembly and detachment therewith.
A further development of the invention, which is advantageous with respect to the spring characteristics and the power generated thereby, provides that the spring have two springing legs that bend away from each other, the ends of which are formed with catches, i.e., with dogs.
In a particularly preferred development of the invention the spring is formed integrally in one-piece construction at the back end of a tongue that extends under the subassembly in the direction opposite the mounting direction and that has a locking element at its front free end. The locking element cooperates, i.e., acts in conjunction with, a locking partner of the subassembly. This way, the mounting holder serves an additional function, namely that of providing a lock between the subassembly and the mounting holder. In this regard, it is an essential feature that both the tolerances that are controlling with respect to the locking function and the tolerances that are controlling with respect to the ejection function are realized by a single integral subassembly. The relative geometric distances between the interacting functional surfaces (e.g. between the catches and the locking element) can thus be produced with an optimally reproducible precision.
A particularly space-efficient development of the invention, which is particularly advantageous in view of a low realizable structural height, is realized in that the spring is accepted in the bottom side of the mounting holder, which is averted from the subassembly.
It is possible to achieve a particularly low structural height in this regard despite an observable spring excursion by forming the spring from a flat sheet.
A development of the invention which is advantageous particularly for purposes of electrical shielding consists in the fact that the spring and a stop for the spring on the subassembly side consist of conductive material. An additional contact which is only active in the end position can thus be created via the physical contact between the spring and the stop for the spring that occurs in the end position. Besides serving shielding purposes, this can also serve monitoring purposes with respect to the attainment of the end position.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a holder mechanism, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.